


A Major Misunderstanding

by hufflepuffism (septasonicxx)



Series: In Which They Find Out... Again And Again [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Identity Reveal, Miscommunication, Misunderstanding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 18:58:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12138975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/septasonicxx/pseuds/hufflepuffism
Summary: Chat Noir is too slow to leave after an Akuma attack and changes back into Adrien right in front of Ladybug.Ladybug runs away.





	A Major Misunderstanding

Adrien lay on the floor of the abandoned warehouse, propped up on one hand and staring at Ladybug with trepidation in his eyes. He no longer wore his Chat Noir suit, but his everyday clothes. There hadn't been time to get out after defeating the Akuma this time and he'd changed back right in front of her.

"Ladybug," he began, but she took a defensive step backwards and cut his words off at the roots.

"Adrien Agreste," she said slowly, testing the words in her mouth.

He continued to stare at her silently, his face pale.

Shaking her head, Ladybug took another step back. It couldn't be him. Not _Adrien_. It didn't make sense. They were two completely different people! Adrien was attractive and wonderful and incredible, but Chat was flirtatious and cheeky and annoying. How could they be the _same person?_

"I-" Ladybug began, but had to clear her throat before going on. "I won't tell anyone." It was the least she could do. They were partners, after all... "But I can't stay." As if to back her up, her Miraculous let out a warning sound.

Adrien pulled himself up off the ground finally, dusting himself off and then quickly holding up his hands in surrender as Ladybug tensed once more.

"It doesn't change anything," he said pleadingly, but it wasn't clear if he was pleading with her or himself.

"It changes... everything," Ladybug whispered, then squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head once as if to clear it. "I just need time to think."

She pivoted on her heel, clearly about to take flight again.

"Wait!" Adrien called out. "Ladybug, please."

She turned her head, considering looking back at him, but her heart pounded anxiously within her chest. Tossing her yo-yo into the air, she disappeared.

* * *

Adrien stood in the empty warehouse for a long time, his eyes staring unseeingly into the distance.

He felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him and couldn't get Ladybug's face out of his head. Had it just been shock, or was it actual disgust that he'd seen in her eyes?

He'd imagined so many scenarios for how they could reveal their true identities to each other, but none of them had ended with Ladybug running away. How was he ever supposed to come back from _this_? If she didn't like who he really was, it didn't _matter_ who _she_ was. She would never accept him.

It didn't matter who she was.

The weight of this hit him like a brick to the chest and he doubled over, putting his head in his hands as his knees hit the floor. All this time he'd been excited to find out who she really was so that they could become the best of friends – the only two people in the world who knew Chat Noir and Ladybug's true identities – but now they would never be friends. Even just working together from now on would be torture.

"You know what could make all of this better?" Plagg asked suddenly, perching on Adrien's shoulder.

"What?" Adrien mumbled, hands still covering his face.

"Camembert."

Groaning, Adrien stood and dusted himself off.

"Did you bring any?" Plagg asked, right before being unceremoniously grabbed and stashed in a pocket.

"You'll get some once we're home," Adrien said, ignoring the mumbled complaints and heading for the far end of the warehouse where the main entrance was. Since Plagg wouldn't be able to transform again until he'd had his precious _camembert_ , Adrien would be walking home tonight.

Outside the warehouse was colder than he'd expected and he drew his arms around himself for warmth, setting off in the direction of home. Plagg was still muttering darkly from his pocket, but still the only thing that filled his mind was the image of Ladybug's face. The way her lips had parted and her eyes went dark with horror or disgust.

"I've ruined everything, Plagg," he murmured, talking more to himself than the Kwami.

Once he finally made it home, he took the back entrance to avoid being seen and crept up to his room, grabbing some camembert for Plagg on the way. Once his door was shut and Plagg was gorging himself on the cheese, Adrien collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.

"She hates me," he whispered.

It should have been obvious, really. She'd never responded positively to his flirting so he hadn't even been off to a good start. And now... now there was no start. Now there were just two kids playing hero in a pair of masks.

Adrien rolled over, burying his face in his pillow, and told himself not to cry.

* * *

Marinette flopped down onto her bed silently and stared at the ceiling, a picture of Adrien looking back at her.

With a groan she rolled onto her side, but once again found herself face to face with a picture of Adrien.

Letting out a frustrated cry and sitting up, she put her head in her hands and closed her eyes. This could not be happening. She was just dreaming. An insane dream combining the two most prominent men in her life right now. Adrien wasn't _really_ Chat Noir.

"I thought you'd be happy to find out the truth," Tikki said from beside her. "Now you know that Adrien is obsessed with you too!"

"But he's not obsessed with _me,_ Tikki!" Marinette replied instantly, her voice slightly muffled as she spoke into her hands. "He's obsessed with Ladybug, someone significantly _cooler_ than me."

"But you and Ladybug are the same person."

"I'm not Ladybug," Marinette said sadly, letting her hands fall to her lap and lifting her head to gaze gloomily at Tikki. "Not without you and the suit. I'm just me... clutzy Marinette who can't even speak to Adrien because she's so tongue tied over his _amazing_ face."

"I'm sure it'll be easier to talk to him now that you know who he really is. And if you tell him who you are he's bound to love you for you."

Marinette sighed and stood up, wandering over to her desk to look at all the pictures of Adrien she had plastered over the place. Pictures from his modelling shoots were the majority, but there were also quite a few snaps that Alya had given her.

"Aaaarrrrgggghhhh," Marinette groaned, banging her head against her desk. "This isn't fair!"

"I'm tired," Tikki sighed from the bed, burrowing under the covers. "Wake me up when your crisis is over."

Rolling her eyes, Marinette picked up her phone and flicked quickly through her contacts. She really wanted to call Alya to talk this over with her, but she couldn't. If Alya found out who she really was, _or_ who Adrien really was, it would be all over her blog and the news within hours... Okay, a slight exaggeration, but Alya would freak out either way and Marinette didn't want to have to deal with that right now.

Drumming her fingers against her forehead to try and help stimulate thought, Marinette hummed to herself. Surely an idea would come to her. Something. Anything to get her out of this sticky situation.

Ten minutes later she was sprawled on the floor with a picture of Adrien beside her and a grim look of determination on her face.

She was just going to have to pretend it had never happened.

 


End file.
